The present invention relates generally to vessels for containing spills of liquid or solid material, and, more particularly, to a collapsible spill containment transfer bag for use at the juncture of a port of a storage tank and a conduit or hose.
The transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous liquid and solid chemical and petroleum products is a thriving industry in this and other countries, with large quantities of such products being transported annually. Trucks and railroad cars having storage tanks are normally utilized to effect the transport of these materials. Within factories, materials are often stored in tanks or bins of varying designs and sizes and frequently transported from those tanks to other locations. In addition to liquids, dry bulk material in the form of beads, pellets, granules or powders are similarly stored and transported.
Typically, conduits such as hoses are employed to fill or empty the tanks carrying such liquid or solid products, with the connection and disconnection of the hoses often leading to spillage of the material from the discharge portions of the port or the end of the conduit. The repetitive process of conduit connection and disconnection can lead to an accumulation of the spilled material about the port, resulting not only in the loss of product, but also in a threat to the environment and even hazard to human health and safety in the case of hazardous substances.
Additionally, there is often a requirement for sampling the contents of a tank. This sample often must be transported to a remote location for future analysis, thus necessitating the use of a secure container.
The term "tank" as used herein refers to movable and stationary storage tanks, bins, and like structures for both liquid and solid materials and having a port or like fitting through which the contents may be discharged (or introduced).
The term "port" as used herein refers to a pipe or other fitting on a tank with a closure which may be opened to permit flow of material therethrough.
The term "conduit" as used herein refers to pipes, hoses and like members which may be coupled to a port for passage of material to and from a tank.
There is a paucity of prior art to deal with this type of spill at the juncture of a conduit and the storage receptacle. One prior art method dealing with dry bulk material, entails placing a large pan to collect and retain any spill directly beneath the juncture of the hose and a tank fitting. This method leaves the problem of how to dispose of the contents of the pan and how to deal with transporting a pan full of dry bulk material. There is additionally the risk of secondary spill should the pan be dislodged or overturned while collecting the spill. Further, a large pan is an inappropriate means for sample collection since transfer of the contents of the pan to more suitable sample receptacle is awkward.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel spill containment transfer bag that will easily contain a liquid or dry bulk material spill resulting from the connection and disconnection of a conduit to a tank.
It is also an object to provide such a containment transfer bag which is collapsible for storage on a transport vehicle, or for convenient storage at factory sites, thereby encouraging use of the bag.
Another object is to provide such a bag which is readily usable as a sample collection container.
A further object is to provide such a bag which can be readily and relatively economically fabricated and which may be reused.